The Birds of Skye. 127 



informs me that in 1873 he knew of five nests of the Harrier, 

 and killed twenty-five birds, old and young. He did not 

 meet with the species again until 1883, when he trapped a 

 hen bird at her nest. I observed a Harrier the same year 

 on Waterstein. A male in adult dress is preserved at 

 Greshornish. 



Buteo vulgaris. — Eesident in the centre of Skye, but only 

 a casual visitant now to Duirinish. Captain Cameron tells 

 me that two pairs used to breed at Tallisker. I had a fine 

 bird, in its second year, from Eigg in 1885. 



Archiluteo vulgaris. — Casual visitant. Captain Macdonald 

 informs me that two or three have been obtained at Armadale. 



Aquila chrysaetos. — A casual visitant to Duirinish, where 

 a few years since a fine bird was captured by a sheep dog 

 whilst fighting on the ground with another Eagle. Maclean, 

 the lad who caught it, and who is now in the Falkland Isles, 

 described its capture to me. He sent it to Mr H. Parsons 

 of Oxford, from whom I learn that it is still flourishing in 

 captivity. Sheriff Spiers has a Skye specimen, and Mr 

 Spence Bower occasionally observes the Golden Eagle in 

 Strath. Formerly a pair nested on Loch Coruisk as Captain 

 Macleod and Captain Cameron inform me, and the latter 

 gentleman sent full details to Mr E. Gray, adding that of 65 

 Eagles killed in Skye only three were Golden Eagles. 

 Harvie-Brown in June 1883 picked up a wing feather of a 

 Golden Eagle on the strand of Loch Coruisk, which had 

 apparently quite recently been dropped. Mr Dixon states 

 (Seebohm, " B. B.," vol i., p. 101), that in 1881 he visited a nest 

 of this species on the west coast of Skye, and twenty-four 

 miles from Portree, the breeding female having been cap- 

 tured the previous day. 



Haliaetus alhicilla. — Eesident ; a pair or two still breeding 

 in the south and west of Skye. Captain Macleod once 

 descended to an eyrie on the south coast of Skye. Until 

 the last few years a pair generally nested at Dunvegan 

 Head, and two Eaglets which Captain Macdonald took from 

 this nest became his familiar companions, descending from a 

 great elevation to join him on his walks, answering his 

 whistle, and retrieving the game he shot for their own larder. 



